After years of service and involvement in veteran and other state programs, David Batchelder has again accepted the position of Carter County Veterans Service Officer and began work on October 19.
“I’m thankful and honored to be able to come back to Carter County and serve the veterans and their families,” he said.
Batchelder retired as a First Sergeant in the Army after 20 years of service and went to work as the Veterans Service Officer years ago, before accepting the position of probation parole officer with the Department of Corrections. After that, he worked for the Tennessee Department of Veterans Services as veterans benefits representative before being hired back as the service officer.
“I am already accredited with several Veteran Service Organizations and am already qualified to assist veterans and their families with their benefits claims,” he said.
His accreditation is with the American Legion, Tennessee Department of Veteran Services, American Red Cross, Purple Heart and several other organizations.
His duties will include assisting veterans, their families and survivors with applying for benefits like service-connected compensation, pension, education benefits, survivor benefits and others.
“I always enjoyed being able to help veterans and their surviving spouses,” he said. “It can be hard to navigate through government programs and to know what forms to fill out, how to do it properly and how to get them to the right place, especially after a traumatic loss. It’s nice to be able to help them through that so they can get where they need to be.”
He enjoys his work and said he has already met with two veterans he formerly assisted; others have come by just to welcome him back.
Among system changes in the years while Batchelder was not working as the service officer, the VA has made it easier for service officers to submit claims and to check the status of existing claims without having to call the regional office in Nashville.
“These changes will allow me to provide better service for our veterans,” he said.
Additionally, he plans to close the office at noon on Wednesdays to make home visits.
“This will allow me to visit home-bound veterans and those in our local nursing homes who need help but are unable to get to the office,” he explained.
In the past, he said they made home visits for those who called, but now he intends to be even more outgoing in his efforts to get benefits to veterans.
The office’s regular hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the new exception of Wednesdays. It is now located in the second floor of the Carter County courthouse in room 206.
He said, “It is a much nicer, more professional space and also has a separate waiting room for the veterans.”
For more information, call 423-542-1824.